Fannish things

[thisbluespirit]

As I said, I sort of stopped updating properly for a bit. Just the usual low patch, but I navigated last month's better in terms of posting than this month's.

1. I did manage to do three Fannish ficlets for no_true_pair and still have some rainbowfic ones I'll post for their amnesty, so that is quite good. Although I was quite blurry, I'm not sure how they turned out, really.


2. unconventionalcourtship is back! Time to pick a terrible romance novel and kill it with fanfiction or whatever your preferred approach is. As ever, you can ask the brilliant Unconventional Courtship Generator for ideas if you don't want to personally wade through Mills & Boon's back catalogue.


3. genprompt_bingo is open for a new round!


4. I don't know what is happening with this year, but I received a NYR gift from edwardianspinsteraunt for The Winslow Boy! It is amazing! I need to go comment properly, and will soon, but spent all day finishing off doing the 100 list thingies going around (see point 5.)

At the Threshold (5149 words) by edwardianspinsteraunt
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Winslow Boy (1999)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Robert Morton/Catherine Winslow
Characters: Robert Morton (Winslow Boy), Catherine Winslow, Desmond Curry
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Kissing, Vulnerability, questionable decisions, Confessions (of various sorts), semi-resolved sexual tension, Angst with a Happy Ending, past Catherine Winslow/John Watherstone
Summary: Catherine learns earlier of Sir Robert's sacrifice - a discovery that has surprising results.


5. I've been doing the tumblr-moved-to-Dreamwidth top 100 personal favourite/foundational movies list, plus, because I picked it up from lirazel (who I think was the one that added the other two categories), also 100 TV series, which took the longest. In the meantime, while it moved round my flist, it became solely a book list meme instead, because I suppose that is tumblr vs Dreamwidth for you, lol.

I'm not entirely surely fiddling with things for a week has made my lists any less weird. (You have to bear in mind that my most influential/favourite things, like everyone, tend to be from when I was growing up/younger but then also I have spent the last 15 years having appalling trouble trying to just read or watch anything and at least 5 or so years of that time solving that problem by watching slow-paced Brit TV, some of which was genuinely awesome and then the loss of DVDs for the past 3-5 years has completely scotched any means I had of watching anything not on terrestrial UK TV or the iPlayer. But it does make my list look like it was made by someone whose next words will be muttering about isn't modern stuff too Ruined By The Woke, which is very distressing to me, but that's why. I might mutter that people should write TV episodes like they're one act plays again instead of a soap opera installment and that it honestly doesn't have to cost THAT much to be good, but that's as far as it goes re. the worst effects of all the beige tv on my brain, I promise. It was excellent beige TV! And the bits that weren't, I was looking at James Maxwell's nose or Alfie's face or Suzanne Neve's awesome anyway. And the reading has been even worse, except the few books that worked could at least be from any era, because so far they haven't changed how that works. BUt, still, they had to be old enough to be chanced upon in charity shops so...)

If you want distractions of clicking things and telling me that you also watched/read about 10 of these, here is the film list, the TV List (much beige TV included some of which I had to add manually) and the books list.

No doubt I have forgotten obvious things and would probably make different lists again next week, but I had fun. It had some of the most obscure books and films on it, it just had issues with the TV sometimes.

Comments

[astrogirl]

Interesting lists! I got 27 on the films, 20 on the TV shows, and 28 on the books. These results frankly astonish me. I would have thought we had more overlap on television, beige or otherwise! But I suppose that does explain why we have to keep lamenting about not having enough fandoms in common. And I'm really not much of a movie-watcher, to the extent that I seriously doubt I could come up with 100 things to put on my own list if I were making one, so I figured I might match single-digits on that one. The fact that it skews towards older stuff really made a difference, there. Honestly, I think the vast majority of those I watched a very, very long time ago, to the point that for a lot of them I know I saw them, but couldn't tell you anything about them at all. Anyway, neat exercise!

I think I'm going to go sign up for a new bingo card, even though I'm only two-and-a-half stories through my existing one. (At least, god, I hope I'm at least halfway through the one I'm currently writing. It's the one I'm posting as a WIP, and the estimated chapter count just keeps ticking up and up and up. I don't understand it! It doesn't even have much of a plot! Why have I not sensibly stuck to writing one-shots?!) But last time I didn't request a new one because I hadn't finished the current one, I ended up wishing I did have a next one to start on as soon as I did.

[thisbluespirit]

Interesting lists! I got 27 on the films, 20 on the TV shows, and 28 on the books. These results frankly astonish me. I would have thought we had more overlap on television, beige or otherwise! But I suppose that does explain why we have to keep lamenting about not having enough fandoms in common.

I mean, this kind of list does tend to include a lot of childhood/teen favourites, and with TV, very few of those crossed the pond, even before we get into my whole beige TV adventures. The thing is that we overlap on nearly all my main fandoms - Doctor Who, Sapphire & Steel, B7, OUaT, which is important!

If it makes you feel better, The Avengers went on and off the list like a yo-yo (because I haven't watched by any means all of it and, much as I do like Cathy, I'm not sure how I feel about that era yet, and I was horribly late to the party, so it didn't get to be formative) and The Prisoner was on for a bit and then got the boot, because, again, good, but not formative and also I watched it in a bad patch and haven't quite mustered up the strength to rewatch it again since. And I couldn't include Good Omens, even aside from anything else, because I've still only watched half of it.

I just need to get access to some streaming and sort myself out, but here we are.

In modern things, if you haven't already seen them, Detectorists and BBC Ghosts are both really lovely comedies I'm sure you'd enjoy (not the US Ghosts, although that's fun too, but the original is rather special, I think.)

And, actually, with the rise of streaming, some of the older ones are more available these days! I don't think that would include Doomwatch sadly, which I think you would find particularly interesting, but original Survivors must be out there and it's incredible, made my hair stand on end, even if sometimes for being horribly 70s, but most of the time in the good way. (I haven't recced it for a while, because post 2020 the "everyone dies in a flu pandemic" apocalyptic scenario was just too soon.) Anyway, it's Terry Nation's other awesome and bleak 1970s series.

And Wish Me Luck was a 1980s/90s WWII drama about women in the SOE that I watched, inappropriately, when I was 10, because apparently my parents are not adult supervision. It gave me nightmares about being interrogated by the Nazis for years, but I adored it regardless, loved Matty & Liz & Emily & Faith, and (non-evil!) Julian Glover. I gather it's been on Tubi lately; idk if it still is or if it's streaming other places as well. I love S1-2 particularly, but s3 has a hell of an ending.

I mean, and anything else that's already on your list, of course! I'm not greedy! XD

/steps down off usual annoying TV soapbox and pretends to be a reasonable flister *shiftyeyes*

And I'm really not much of a movie-watcher, to the extent that I seriously doubt I could come up with 100 things to put on my own list if I were making one, so I figured I might match single-digits on that one.

This meme started out as just films, and I was all: yeah, I've been watching more films lately! I can do that! I got to 32 and was... nooo, I can't. XD I did then sit down and think hard about childhood favourites and other things that I watched that made an impact, but I think it would have been more honest at about 80-90 at most, and I still could easily swap things round. Which means that a lot of them are just the sort of things that everybody saw if they were within a reasonably wide-ish age bracket at the time. I have been trying on and off to amend my lack of film-watching these last few years, and it's been fun so far, and I have at least gained a better idea of what I actually do and don't like.

The books one, though - I could have done 150, no problem, even though it's been so hard to read for so many years, because of the CFS. (Which is, touch wood, genuinely getting so much better this last year or two, even if I still must keep to a very limited amount at a time. But I can usually read pretty much anything I choose to within that limit and even enjoy it! Can you imagine? o_O)

But last time I didn't request a new one because I hadn't finished the current one, I ended up wishing I did have a next one to start on as soon as I did.

Aw, then obviously you must have one! I am tempted, but I'm still working on Round 24 and being rubbish at it, lol. (I'm also doing a 2023 allbingo Valentine's card and it's so stupid, I have TWELVE squares filled, two lines only needing one square filled for a bingo and I still haven't finished it. I'm at the point where I'm just, maybe I should do a black out because I'm nearly halfway there and it's ridiculous? My genprompt_bingo one isn't as bad, but it still has seven squares done, with no strategic sense in them at all.)

[sovay]

I gather it's been on Tubi lately; idk if it still is or if it's streaming other places as well.

As of this month, it's still on Tubi!

[astrogirl]

The thing is that we overlap on nearly all my main fandoms - Doctor Who, Sapphire & Steel, B7, OUaT, which is important!

It is! Even if, of those, I'm admittedly still only really active in one of them. (Not that I was ever really active in S&S fandom, I suppose, but I did write a couple of fics, at least.) Still, it is very nice to have that stuff in common, and nothing can take that away from us!

If it makes you feel better, The Avengers went on and off the list like a yo-yo (because I haven't watched by any means all of it and, much as I do like Cathy, I'm not sure how I feel about that era yet, and I was horribly late to the party, so it didn't get to be formative) and The Prisoner was on for a bit and then got the boot,

And both of those would have to appear on my own list, if I did one. There are probably some early Avengers eps I haven't seen, but even so. I think it was fairly formative for me, as I first watched it in high school. Didn't watch The Prisoner (except, I think, for one random episode) until college, but that didn't keep it from having a big impact on me.

In modern things, if you haven't already seen them, Detectorists and BBC Ghosts are both really lovely comedies

You're at least the second person who's recommended The Detectorists to me. I think I actually went to check it out once, but the only place I could find it streaming, it came with ads, and I just cannot with ads. I'll continue to keep an eye out for it, though. I don't think I actually know much of anything about Ghosts.

but original Survivors must be out there and it's incredible

You know, looking through your list, I had to stop and try to remember whether I'd seen Survivors or not. I had the vague idea that I had, but absolutely no memory of it, so this must be one of those annoying times when my brain confuses intending to do something with actually doing it. I must get to it for real some time, certainly. Even if some part of my brain is wary of British post-apocalypse stuff, since being deeply traumatized by watching Threads as a teenager. LOL.

/steps down off usual annoying TV soapbox and pretends to be a reasonable flister *shiftyeyes*

I'm not sure any of us are reasonable, though. Have you seen some of the fandoms I'm into? :)

I have been trying on and off to amend my lack of film-watching these last few years

Whereas I've mostly just sort of given up and decided that I don't, in fact, actually have to watch movies just because everyone else does, and if I see two a year, it's fine.

But I can usually read pretty much anything I choose to within that limit and even enjoy it! Can you imagine? o_O

Infinitely better than not being able to read at all! Which I suspect would kill me. So I'm very glad that's improving for you!

I'm at the point where I'm just, maybe I should do a black out because I'm nearly halfway there and it's ridiculous?

That way lies madness. I speak from experience. And yet, somehow that attitude still sounds strangely reasonable to me. :)

[thisbluespirit]

It did feel terribly wrong to leave The Avengers off, but also not quite true to leave it on. It was the one thing I wavered on all the way through making it.

You're at least the second person who's recommended The Detectorists to me. I think I actually went to check it out once, but the only place I could find it streaming, it came with ads, and I just cannot with ads.

Ha, I'm not at all surprised, since 2 or 3 people on my flist recced it to me, and I'm pretty sure one of them was vilakins. Ads are very annoying, though. I can't be doing with them, either, but at least I can still sometimes record things on the DVR and fast forward them.

I don't think I actually know much of anything about Ghosts.

So many people round here have been watching it, I just assumed that you would have known about it and not been able to get a sensible source or something or I would have plagued you sooner, because it's great. It's a sitcom about Alison (Charlotte Ritchie) and Mike (Kiell Smith-Bynoe) who inherit Button House. Alison has a near-fatal incident when they arrive, which allows her to see the ghosts who also 'live' there. It was made by the Horrible Histories team (although I'm too late a vintage to have been into any of that), and everybody else pretty much is a Taskmaster alumni (and counting). It's very funny and they rapidly developed an ability to make us cry at least once every three episodes, damn their eyes! S2 is my favourite - it was filmed just in time to beat that first Lockdown and came out like the best gift the year had given us, so it still has a special place in my heart. Anyway, usual BBC sitcom scenarios - only 6 eps per season, plus Christmas specials for each series bar 1, and a little Children in Need bonus. I really hope it proves easier to find than other things, but well worth it, if you can. It's definitely my favourite new show of the last few years.

You know, looking through your list, I had to stop and try to remember whether I'd seen Survivors or not. I had the vague idea that I had, but absolutely no memory of it

I mean, it's something that's well known in the sort of Brit Cult SFF circles that you've hung around in - and there was a 2008 BBC remake, which you might have seen some of. I watched the first series of that when it aired, but while some bits were good, I found its unwillingness to actually address its own subject matter deeply frustrating.

When, having watched S&S and B7 as well as Classic Who, I decided to give it a try, I found that the 70s original does nothing but deal with its subject matter in every possible way. It's completely gripping and makes nearly everybody scream at the TV in the bad way as well as the good way at least once, but usually in different places, in my experience so far, which has made for, er, lively discussions, lol.

Even if some part of my brain is wary of British post-apocalypse stuff, since being deeply traumatized by watching Threads as a teenager. LOL.

I think they'd stopped routinely showing that to teenagers at school when I got to the right age (unless I was just off ill as usual that day) but we heard tell of its horrors from the older years. I've still never seen it, but it does seem to be the most legendarily traumatising thing of that kind the UK ever produced. 1970s Survivors is like the winter camping trip you regret going on in comparison, practically a fun day out for all! XD

Oh, I made a little vid back when I watched it. It's all mainly early S1 clips and not really spoilery for anything bar the premise, if you wanted to see if it rang any bells - Let Me Inside.

Whereas I've mostly just sort of given up and decided that I don't, in fact, actually have to watch movies just because everyone else does, and if I see two a year, it's fine.

Yeah, there's so much amazing fictional media out there, there's no need to pursue the ones you don't want to. My lack of film-watching was never my choice as such; so I'm very happy to be gradually getting to know what to look for that I will like, and on occasion, adore to pieces and put on my Yuletide lists.

I'm not sure any of us are reasonable, though. Have you seen some of the fandoms I'm into? :)

Ha, yes. This isn't the being normal space, is it? <3

Infinitely better than not being able to read at all! Which I suspect would kill me. So I'm very glad that's improving for you!

Thank you. And not to sound like a person in a grim but oddly reassuring 70s TV show, it's amazing how much doesn't kill you; you just grit your teeth and find ways to put the reading slowly back into your life. Obviously the not reading at all option was unacceptable!

That way lies madness. I speak from experience. And yet, somehow that attitude still sounds strangely reasonable to me. :)

I've been refusing to do the square "self-compassion" because it sounds like a very tumblr attitude. I WILL DO ALL THE OTHER SQUARES FIRST! XD I may need to actually write deliberately or something, I think. I'd like a new bingo card.

ETA: It finally dawned on me that it might have been more useful to have less waffle and link you to the original Ghosts trailer, so there you go, but I shall have to leave the waffle where it is.

[astrogirl]

2 or 3 people on my flist recced it to me, and I'm pretty sure one of them was vilakins.

Yes, vilakins was definitely one of the people I remember reccing it to me. And she does usually seem to have pretty good taste. :)

I just assumed that you would have known about it and not been able to get a sensible source or something or I would have plagued you sooner, because it's great.

LOL! It seems to take a while for a lot of things to really ping on my radar, though. Currently, I seem to be about a decade behind on shows in general.

and everybody else pretty much is a Taskmaster alumni (and counting)

That is a selling point! And I watched the trailer you linked to, and that by itself actually made me laugh. So clearly I will, in fact, have to add it to my infinite list of Things I Must Watch Soon, Honestly.

I mean, it's something that's well known in the sort of Brit Cult SFF circles that you've hung around in

Oh, for sure! People were constantly talking about Survivors back in my B7 days, but I didn't find any way to watch it then. Apparently I fully intended to find and watch it sometime since, if only just to fill in that gap in my fannish viewing history, but never actually did.

and there was a 2008 BBC remake, which you might have seen some of

I have not, but I'd definitely be more interested in the original, anyway.

It's completely gripping and makes nearly everybody scream at the TV in the bad way as well as the good way at least once, but usually in different places

LOL. That does sound like, well, a lot of television I've enjoyed over the years.

I think they'd stopped routinely showing that to teenagers at school when I got to the right age (unless I was just off ill as usual that day) but we heard tell of its horrors from the older years.

We didn't watch it in school. I vaguely recall that what they showed us was the much less memorable Testament.

I've still never seen it, but it does seem to be the most legendarily traumatising thing of that kind the UK ever produced.

I can only hope it's the most traumatizing thing the UK has ever produced! I watched it at 15, and it gave me a stress-induced muscle tic that took half an hour to go away. First time I'd ever experienced anything like that.

It's all mainly early S1 clips and not really spoilery for anything bar the premise, if you wanted to see if it rang any bells - Let Me Inside.

Zero bells whatsoever! So it must, indeed, remain on aforementioned infinite list. (Nicely atmospheric vid, by the way.)

Yeah, there's so much amazing fictional media out there, there's no need to pursue the ones you don't want to.

Yeah, I try to live by that philosophy more these days, rather than figuring that I need to watch a movie just because it's the Thing That Everyone's Watching.

so I'm very happy to be gradually getting to know what to look for that I will like, and on occasion, adore to pieces and put on my Yuletide lists.

Excellent! Here's to all of us finding the things that will make us happy! Although, I swear, I myself seem to be finding it in weird and unpredictable places lately. Oh, well, it's fun!

Ha, yes. This isn't the being normal space, is it? <3

It is not, and I very much appreciate it for that! I have to have somewhere to go to be unrepentently and unselfconsciously not normal! (She said, about to go back to writing fic about a guy having angsty sexual tension with an evil cartoon triangle. :))

And not to sound like a person in a grim but oddly reassuring 70s TV show, it's amazing how much doesn't kill you

There are worse things than sounding like one of those, and those are undoubtedly true words! Although, in this case, ones I hope not to ever have to join you in putting to the test. I discovered long ago just how important of a stress valve at least a daily half an hour or so of reading-for-pleasure time is for me.

I've been refusing to do the square "self-compassion" because it sounds like a very tumblr attitude.

That is an odd turn of phrase, and not one I'm sure I've heard before. It is very Tumblr, but, honestly, I think I'd take it over a square labeled "self-care."

but I shall have to leave the waffle where it is.

That's OK. I enjoyed the waffle. :)

[thisbluespirit]

It seems to take a while for a lot of things to really ping on my radar, though. Currently, I seem to be about a decade behind on shows in general.

Well, in that case, let me add the other recent and awesome UK comedy that I assume everyone else already knows about, Derry Girls, into the mix. (That, I know, is on Netflix even & this is the original trailer.)

That is a selling point! And I watched the trailer you linked to, and that by itself actually made me laugh. So clearly I will, in fact, have to add it to my infinite list of Things I Must Watch Soon, Honestly.

Yay! We shall have a lovely discussion about it in a decade or two, then. XD (Still, I think Ghosts is a keeper, so that'll be all right.) And, yeah, re. TM - as well as Charlotte and Kiell, it's got Lolly Adefope & Katy Wix, Mat Baynton is coming up on s19 whenever we actually get it, and in the supporting cast, nearly everyone who turns up is from TM. (Ghosts started in 2019 & I didn't get to TM until the summer of 2021, so rewatches are a surprise TM bingo for me.) I actually watched it in the first place, because I recognised Charlotte Christie from that first Chibnall's Who NY special with the Daleks - I'd liked her such a lot in that.

So it must, indeed, remain on aforementioned infinite list. (Nicely atmospheric vid, by the way.)

Thank you! It's still one of the ones I'm pretty happy with. <3

It is not, and I very much appreciate it for that! I have to have somewhere to go to be unrepentently and unselfconsciously not normal! (She said, about to go back to writing fic about a guy having angsty sexual tension with an evil cartoon triangle. :))

Let the evil cartoon triangle bang the angsty guy! XD

Although, in this case, ones I hope not to ever have to join you in putting to the test. I discovered long ago just how important of a stress valve at least a daily half an hour or so of reading-for-pleasure time is for me.

Oh, yeah, absolutely. It's not something I'd wish on anyone, let alone a fellow bookworm.

That is an odd turn of phrase, and not one I'm sure I've heard before. It is very Tumblr, but, honestly, I think I'd take it over a square labeled "self-care."

Heh, yes. XD Tbf to it, it's actually a flower & jewel meanings bingo, so that's just that particular flower/jewel meaning, but I immediately thought of tumblr and jinxed myself on it. But I've got 12 squares done; I just need to do whatever the other outstanding one is the other all-but-complete row. If only I could be bothered to be organised about bingos.

That's OK. I enjoyed the waffle. :)

<3

[astrogirl]

Well, in that case, let me add the other recent and awesome UK comedy that I assume everyone else already knows about, Derry Girls, into the mix.

That I have heard of, and while from the vague descriptions of it I've heard it doesn't sound much like my sort of thing, I have seen so many enthusiastic recommendations for it from people whose tastes I trust that I can only assume it must, indeed, be worthwhile. It may or may not already be on the infinite list, or that portion of it that resides in my various streaming service watchlists. I should probably check.

Yay! We shall have a lovely discussion about it in a decade or two, then. XD

Yeah, that sounds just about right. :)

Let the evil cartoon triangle bang the angsty guy! XD

LOL! But, no, I refuse! That triangle is a jerk, and I take far too much pleasure in not giving him what he wants! :)

(Eventually, I will probably give in and let him. But not in this fic.)

it's actually a flower & jewel meanings bingo, so that's just that particular flower/jewel meaning, but I immediately thought of tumblr and jinxed myself on it.

Ah, OK, that would definitely make me feel better about it, but even so, I totally understand the problem with that association. :)

If only I could be bothered to be organised about bingos.

It really does help to be strict with yourself about picking a line and sticking to it... as long as you don't then talk yourself into going for the blackout because there are still a bunch of other prompts you want to write.

[thisbluespirit]

That I have heard of, and while from the vague descriptions of it I've heard it doesn't sound much like my sort of thing, I have seen so many enthusiastic recommendations for it from people whose tastes I trust that I can only assume it must, indeed, be worthwhile.

I missed the first two series, because I rarely get on with ch4 sitcoms, but people were going on about it, and the gifsets of Sister Michael on tumblr were all very funny, so I recorded repeats of S1-2 just in time to watch my way almost straight through it, and, yeah, it really is amazingly well done. It's one of those things where someone has written about a very specific time and place and experience and yet somehow managed to do it in a way that clearly has something universal about it. Plus, for the most of the time, it's pure chaos and extremely funny. Especially Sister Michael. The gifsets were not wrong.

Anyway, so, yes, I absolutely third, fourth or tenth or whatever the rec.

(If you do ever get to it, here's a clip, because it's one of those shows where the soundtrack is important and, inevitably, copyright has messed with it on Netflix, and while I'm sure most of those are ok, in the final scene of s1 crimes were committed. idk if this plays in your region (and don't watch it yet) but link to be stashed somewhere so you can see the original: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SN14w6BLf8 )

LOL! But, no, I refuse! That triangle is a jerk, and I take far too much pleasure in not giving him what he wants! :)

Lol. Okay. Bad Triangle, no smut! (Not yet.)

It really does help to be strict with yourself about picking a line and sticking to it...

Yeah, the times I've done that, I've been much better at it! But OTOH, I do like having an ongoing card and writing things I just felt like writing, and then posting them while protesting, "Look, I had to write it, it fitted square x over there in that corner of the card that's of no use to me, how could I not?" XD

[astrogirl]

Anyway, so, yes, I absolutely third, fourth or tenth or whatever the rec.

Noted!

If you do ever get to it, here's a clip, because it's one of those shows where the soundtrack is important and, inevitably, copyright has messed with it on Netflix, and while I'm sure most of those are ok, in the final scene of s1 crimes were committed.

Oh, ugh, I hate that. Right, I have duly stashed the link away, and will try to remember it, if and when. Thank you!

Lol. Okay. Bad Triangle, no smut! (Not yet.)

I will let him have a kiss, but it will be a Kiss of Betrayal, and then I will laugh at him. :)

But OTOH, I do like having an ongoing card and writing things I just felt like writing, and then posting them while protesting, "Look, I had to write it, it fitted square x over there in that corner of the card that's of no use to me, how could I not?" XD

Ooh, yeah, that is really handy reasoning to have in your pocket, I cannot deny it. :)

[thisbluespirit]

I have duly stashed the link away, and will try to remember it, if and when. Thank you!

Remembering is always the trick, isn't it? XD

[astrogirl]

It really is! Fortunately, every once in a great while I look over the place where I save all the random links, so I can see them again and wonder what they heck they are and when I put them there. :)

[thisbluespirit]

LOL, yes. Past self, please explain yourself! What was this for? XD